Six years ago, Alex Appleby identified a derelict property she thought might be suitable for her Sheffield-based Tiddlywinks childcare group. She recalls, 'We thought, paint it and put down a carpet, make it habitable. I had no idea about business plans and money and leases.'
Now, after a hard-won battle for 1.2m funding, she can hardly believe the transformation. 'I walk around the building, touching the walls. I could write a book about the journey we've been on, getting the building and the pitfalls on the way.'
The efforts of Alex, her friend and Tiddlywinks co-founder Lauretta Ledger, and the entire Arbourthorne community have been recognised in the Daycare Trust's Partners in Excellence awards. Earlier this year Arbourthorne Community Primary School and Arbourthorne Tiddlywinks scooped an award in the Integrating Care and Early Learning category.
Register now to continue reading
Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Unlimited access to news and opinion
-
Email newsletter providing activity ideas, best practice and breaking news
Already have an account? Sign in here